Exam

2009

Action / Mystery / Thriller

Synopsis

Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, an Invigilator gives them eighty minutes to answer one simple question. He outlines three rules they must obey or be disqualified: don't talk to him or the armed guard by the door, don't spoil their papers and don't leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find they're completely blank. After the initial confusion has subsided, one frustrated candidate writes 'I believe I deserve...,' and is promptly ejected for spoiling. The remaining candidates soon figure out they're permitted to talk to each other, and they agree to cooperate in order to figure out the question: then they can compete to answer it. At first they suspect the question may be hidden in their papers like a security marker in a credit card, and they figure out ways to change their environment to expose ...

Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, an Invigilator gives them eighty minutes to answer one simple question. He outlines three rules they must obey or be disqualified: don't talk to him or the armed guard by the door, don't spoil their papers and don't leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find they're completely blank. After the initial confusion has subsided, one frustrated candidate writes 'I believe I deserve...,' and is promptly ejected for spoiling. The remaining candidates soon figure out they're permitted to talk to each other, and they agree to cooperate in order to figure out the question: then they can compete to answer it. At first they suspect the question may be hidden in their papers like a security marker in a credit card, and they figure out ways to change their environment to expose ...

Movie Reviews

Love Head-Scratching Plots

It's good to watch a weird movie every once in a while... This movie is definitely not your every day movie and not a one that pleases a lot of people but you need some twisted plots now and then.

The idea is amazing and it builds tension through out. There is not much of action going on but that what makes a good movie if it is well made, and this one surely delivers.

The acting is fairly good with every character really possesses a different personality. It was a shame getting rid of the Chinese girl very early in the plot. I guess keeping her for a longer time would made the plot more complicated, but a bit of complication never hurts anyone.

Overall, it's a good movie and a change of the stereotypical movies we watch all the time. Not for every one, but worth the time!!!

Reviewed by j_chy9 / 10

from the first 8 minutes....til the credits roll: why was this thing that way?

The first 8 minutes tell you everything that you need to know..but you don't know everything that you have been told until the credits roll.

The film presents many questions, EXAMines them, and answers a few of them such that I was almost satisfied.

Firstly, the film is intended to be racist, not only with the naming of the characters, but with each character's actions reflecting actions that might be expected of their race/gender. Guess which one will choose to use fisticuffs, torture, guns, sympathy, deceit, etc. It is intended to show the futility of the 'personalities' that are attributed to each race trying to work together in a zero-sum contest. Many people seem to miss that the rather human and intelligent characters are also caricatures because it is subtly done, though the movie hits you over the head with the nicknames.

It kept me guessing through the film (and afterwards) who will be the winner? who is a plant? who is in charge? What do the designers of the EXAM want to happen here? When the CEO is revealed, which one will it be, or might it be the invigilator or the guard? One of the best questions is: for a corporation of limitless technology, what illusions are they purposefully creating in the EXAM room and why?

Also, who is the corporation...really? what type of product do they have now? are they really this ruthless for their hiring? Are they a benevolent corporation (if there can be such a thing), or are they a cruel, profit-centric monster? They are so powerful that they are a nation-state, what does that mean?

Did you listen to the words at the beginning of the EXAM? They rules are twisted like a lawyer would enjoy but each rule-breaker clearly breaks them and if asked would agree that they did! Did you hear that the laws of the outside world don't apply? What part of the outside world's norms will the characters maintain, and then do these norms help or hurt them with the EXAM?

By the end, the writers have been able to squeeze every ounce of meaning from the words and events of those first 8 minutes.

This would make a stunningly good live production.
I love it, it's twisty and mostly unpredictable and left me constantly questioning: why was this thing that way?

Reviewed by jaypathak_watcher7 / 10

Excellent plot - But too long

As the movie begins, you becomes really excited about " The Exam " and all puzzles and mind work.
But after 15 minutes, it turns out as drama, and whole mind and logical game becomes little violent type drama nothing else.
No doubt end is shocking, but mostly it is predictable because I hope you have seen major spy titles.